‘Downton Abbey’: Mary’s Sex Trip & The Dowager’s Past Are Exposed

What is in the water at Downton? From Lady Mary’s not-so-secret sex trip to the Dowager coming face-to-face with her sexy past and Cora’s flirty dinner, all of the women are so sexually charged.

Episode three begins with Lady Mary and Lord Gillingham in bed on the last day of their secret sex trip — and Tony seems more smitten than ever before with Mary…but unfortunately it doesn’t look like their sexytime has her any more convinced that he should be her next husband. Ever a lady, Mary tells him that nothing further will happen until everything is properly “announced, organized and executed.”

‘Downton Abbey’ Recap, Season 5 Episode 3:

Back at Downton, the Dowager and Mrs. Crawley have tea, where the Dowager cheekily asks her for an update on her “aging Romeo” — although there’s nothing new to report on that front. The Dowager’s best line of the episode comes out during their exchange, as she laments how “extremely inconvenient” it is that her butler has a personal life that called him away from work.

Speaking of her butler… Although Mary and Tony kept a low profile on their trip, as they leave the Dowager’s butler spots them exiting the hotel together. When the butler returns he surprises the Dowager with his Mary sighting — but the sharp-as-ever Countess quickly puts him in his place, never skipping a beat. She quickly quiets him, telling him that her secret sex romp was actually an informal conference. The flabbergasted butler can’t get a word in. “Now if you’ll be good enough to drink my brandy in peace,” she says.

When Mary returns it is clear that no one is buying her “sketching with Annabel Portsmouth” trip — in fact, Edith is the first to call her out on it. “Where are they, anyway? Can’t we see them?” Mary says nothing in return and only gives Edith the only side eye.

The Dowager Countess puts Mary in her place for sneaking off to have sex with Tony but seems quite relieved when she hears that he wants to marry her.

Cora Gets Caught Flirting With Disaster:

Cora goes off to London, where she is invited to dinner and fawned over by another man. She seems to enjoy the flirting — that is, until she returns to find that Lord Grantham traveled to London to surprise her with a night out…and only to discover that his wife stayed out all night with another man. Robert and Cora fight and he insults her out of jealousy.

Lady Mary confides in Tom, telling him that her romp fest only convinced her that she doesn’t have much in common with Tony. Tom makes it clear that he didn’t buy her “so-called sketching trip.” Although Mary doesn’t know what to do about Tony, he surprises her at Rose’s Russian tea, only adding to the immense pressure she feels regarding their current status.

Edith’s interest in Marigold increases as she babysits for the family. The mother comes home to find them outside playing — but not before assuming that Edith kidnapped the little girl. The result? Edith is banned from seeing her daughter, which leaves her in tears.

The Dowager’s Past:

Just when you think you have the Dowager all figured out, an interesting part of her past comes out — and she might be as proper as she claims to be, (much to Mary’s amusement, of course). Although her grandmother has been on a high horse regarding the whole Gillingham situation, her own romantic past surprises everyone as a certain prince emerges from the group of Russians — I don’t think we’ve ever seen the Dowager speechless before, (that is, until now). Mrs. Crowley couldn’t resist the chance to call her out on it, with a sly smile — these two are like the original Golden Girls.